Three held in Kondhwa for stealing 17 goats two days before Bakrid

Pune: The Shirur police on Wednesday nabbed three men in Kondhwa for allegedly stealing 17 goats from different parts of Shirur, just two days before Bakrid.The trio was caught while allegedly trying to sell the animals for Bakrid sacrifice rituals.An officer from the Shirur police told TOI that residents of Shirur had purchased the goats for the sacrifice ritual and had tied them in cattle sheds outside their houses.“On Tuesday, as many as 17 goats were stolen. A 42-year-old resident of Shirur lodged a complaint. The total value of the stolen goats was over Rs 6 lakh,” the officer said.He said the complainant’s relative had shared details of the stolen goats on various social media platforms.“His friend from Kondhwa noticed similar goats at a market in the Kausar Baug area and alerted him. The complainant, his relatives and others reached the spot, nabbed three suspects in Kondhwa and brought them to the police station,” the officer said.The officer added that the trio, all from Shirur, admitted to stealing the goats. The police recovered four stolen goats from them. “Search is on for their fourth accomplice,” the officer said.